Rick Needham at Belmont Park
RACE #9 - BELMONT PARK - 5:45 PM EASTERN POST
The Kelso Handicap
8.0 FURLONGS DIRT GRADE II THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD STAKES $300,000.00 PURSE
#5 SHARP AZTECA
#4 DIVINING ROD
#2 TOMMY MACHO
#1 TOM'S READY
This race honors the career of Kelso, who is considered to be among the best racehorses in history. In the list of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century by The Blood-Horse magazine, Kelso ranks 4th, behind only Man o' War (1st), Secretariat (2nd) and Citation (3rd). In his long career, Kelso defeated many leading Thorougbred racehorses including Carry Back, Gun Bow, Bald Eagle, Tompion, Never Bend, Beau Purple, Quadrangle, Roman Brother, Crimson Satan, Jaipur, Ridan and Pia Star, as well as other top thoroughbreds, often conceding weight under handicap conditions. In doing so, Kelso beat more champions and Hall of Fame horses than any other thoroughbred racehorse in the 20th Century. Here in the 36th running of this Grade Stakes Test, #5 SHARP AZTECA is the overall speed leader in this field racing at today's distance of a mile on the dirt, and has hit the board in "POWER RUN FASHION" in five straight, including "POWER RUN WINS" in both his last, as well as in his 4th race back. Jockey Paco Lopez and Trainer Jorge Navarro send him "postward" for the 'Saturday Feature' ... they've hit the board with 77% of their entries saddled as a team to date. #4 DIVINING ROD takes a slight class drop (-1), is the pace profile leader, and has hit the board in four of his last five outings, winning twice, including a "POWER RUN WIN" in his 2nd race back.